Digital euro in final talks — but it’s years from your pocket

Parliament and Council are negotiating; the holding limit per person is still open.

On 9 July 2026 the European Parliament confirmed its negotiating position on the digital euro (416 votes to 169), after the Council agreed its own in December 2025. The digital euro would work online and offline, with strong privacy for payments. How much each person may hold is still being negotiated; €3,000 is only an illustrative figure the ECB has used in its work. The ECB plans a pilot in 2027 and a possible first issue in 2029, provided the law is adopted in 2026.

For youCash isn’t going anywhere. This would add a public, ECB-backed way to pay next to cards and apps — the privacy details are the part worth watching.

Next: Negotiations between Parliament and Council continue; no deal as of 29 September 2026. A separate law protecting cash as legal tender is in the same talks.

Verified against the sources above on 29 September 2026. Plain-language summary — not the legal text and not legal advice.